Earned media has become a cornerstone for small businesses and startups looking to build their brand presence without breaking the bank. Unlike paid advertising, earned media is organic and often perceived as more trustworthy by consumers. Generally, people believe a brand’s product or service is genuine when others genuinely talk about it without being paid. It’s one of the easiest ways to improve a brand’s visibility and awareness, which will result in more sales. Today, my purpose is simply to outline a detailed guide on how you can maximize this medium to achieve your business goals and smash those milestones you’ve set for your business with my earned media strategy. What’s in it for me? Oh, it’s just the sincere desire to see your brand’s credibility and visibility grow, Cheers!
Key Points
- Earned media refers to the free publicity you get when customers, social media users, bloggers, and journalists talk about your brand.
- Earned media can be word of mouth, social mentions, reviews, blog posts, influencer mentions, and so on
- The benefits of this media include cost-effectiveness, improved credibility, long-term impact, brand visibility, and SEO advantages
- Paid, owned, and earned media are three different concepts. Although they all play distinct roles, they can be optimized to increase brand visibility together.
- To maximize your marketing efforts, it’s essential to integrate earned, owned, and paid media.
Understanding Earned Media Strategy
The best way to understand earned media is to look up the word “earned.” it refers to something you deserve or what you get after putting in the work. So, earned media refers to the free publicity you get when customers, social media users, bloggers, and journalists talk about your brand. It’s not the same as owned media (your website, blog, and social channels) and paid media (advertisements and sponsored content). In my experience, focusing on earned media yields significant benefits for businesses.
Imagine Rihanna posting a picture of her new, gorgeous dinner dress and tagging the young designer who made it. Or you trying to convince your high school friends that the upcoming reunion should be held at the new restaurant in your neighborhood because they serve amazing dishes. These two scenarios have one thing in common, they give credit to good works and recommend brands without receiving payment for it. Businesses focus on earned media because it provides a wealth of benefits over time. In essence, earned media strategies are those things you do that make others say you are good at what you do.
Types of Earned Media
Earned media takes various forms, which are also known as types, and each of these forms offers unique advantages. The following are some of the earned media types that I’ve seen work wonders over time:
#1. Customer Reviews and Testimonials
I’ve lost count of the times checking out reviews before making a payment, has saved me from regret. I’m one of those who rarely makes payments without looking up reviews. Satisfied clients leaving a positive review is one of the most effective earned media strategies. Positive reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor can significantly influence potential customers’ buying decisions.
#2. Social Media Mentions and Shares
Thanks to technology, social media mentions are now a means of increasing brand visibility. When users share your content or mention your brand on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it amplifies your reach.
#3. Press Coverage and News Articles
Another earned media strategy that I’ve seen work wonders is press coverage and news articles. This happens when your brand gets featured in newspapers, magazines, or online publications. It can boost your credibility and visibility.
#4. Blog Posts and Influencer Mentions
Thanks to influencers, affiliate marketing is one of the most amazing ways to make money online. Interestingly, this is one of the types of earned media. Influencers and bloggers can introduce your brand to a wider audience through authentic content and reviews.
#5. Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
Personal recommendations from satisfied customers can be powerful. Interestingly, most people engage in this consciously and unconsciously. Remember the coffee you bought from the new store down your street, and couldn’t stop telling family, friends, and colleagues how awesome their coffee tasted? Well, you just helped that business’s earned media.
Benefits of Earned Media
Earned media offers several key benefits, and the following are some of them:
- Cost-effectiveness: Unlike paid advertising, earned media is free. This means you don’t pay for the exposure, making it a cost-effective marketing strategy.
- Credibility: Consumers tend to trust earned media more than traditional advertisements because it’s seen as unbiased and genuine. This explains why companies and brands invest in SEO to rank on search engines without paying for ads
- Long-Term Impact: A well-placed news article or a viral social media post can continue to attract attention long after it’s first published.
- SEO Advantages: Earned media can improve your search engine rankings through backlinks and increased web traffic.
- Increased Brand Awareness and Loyalty: Positive mentions and reviews help build brand recognition and customer loyalty.
Proven Tips for Implementing an Earned Media Strategy
Well, this is the highlight of this article. If you work for a PR company and are looking for ways to boost or grow a client’s earned media or simply wish to promote your business, this is for you. The following are Lamphills’ top secrets and strategies when it comes to boosting your earned media:
#1. Clearly Define Your Goals
Start by clarifying what you aim to achieve with your earned media strategy. Businesses have varying needs. While mine is to boost my brand’s local awareness, yours might be to increase engagement or show yourself as an industry expert. Knowing your goals will guide your choice of channels and tactics. Identifying your business goals will help you set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
#2. Identify Your Target Audience
Analyze your customer demographics and psychographics. This means identifying where your target audience spends their time online and offline. Then, use the details to create detailed audience personas.
#3. Who Influences Your Target Audience?
Identify influencers, bloggers, and journalists in your industry. To be sure you get in touch with the right person, kindly research the platforms and publications where they are active. With the information, compile a list of potential collaborators and media contacts.
#4. Create High-Quality Content
Content is powerful, content is king, and that explains why companies are willing to hire creative content creators at all times. If you intend to boost your earned media, you must be willing to create and share valuable, engaging content that resonates with your audience. This could be informative blog posts, entertaining videos, or compelling infographics. Ensure it’s captivating enough. Why? Because high-quality content is more likely to be shared with ease than others.
#5. Engage with Your Audience
Don’t just post content, engage your audience. You can engage with your audience by responding to comments and thanking people for sharing your content. You can also address any concerns they may have. Active engagement fosters a sense of community and encourages more interactions.
#6. Leverage Social Media
Use social media platforms to your advantage. Regularly post updates, share content, and interact with followers. Encourage your audience to share your posts and tag your brand in their content.
#7. Build Relationships with Influencers
Influencers can significantly amplify your reach. Identify influencers in your industry and build relationships with them. Offer them value, such as free samples or exclusive content, in exchange for mentions or reviews.
#8. Encourage Customer Reviews
Happy customers are often willing to share their experiences if asked. Therefore, you can prompt your customers to leave reviews on relevant platforms. Make the process easy by providing direct links to your review pages.
#9. Monitor Your Brand
Use tools like Google Alerts, Mention, or Hootsuite to track mentions of your brand. Engage with users who talk about your brand, whether their comments are positive or negative. Showing that you listen and care can turn even negative experiences into positive ones.
Examples of Successful Earned Media Strategies
The following are a few examples of successful earned media strategies:
Example1: Small Business
A local coffee shop leveraged social media by hosting a contest encouraging customers to share photos of their favorite drinks. The contest generated hundreds of posts, significantly increasing the shop’s visibility and attracting new customers.
Example 2: Startup
A tech startup focused on creating innovative content, such as informative blog posts and engaging videos. If they reach out to industry bloggers and offer exclusive insights, they can secure several high-profile mentions. This will, in turn, boost their credibility and customer base.
Earned Media Strategy Checklist
Download Lamphills’ Earned Media Strategy Checklist
Paid Owned Earned Media Strategy
First, I need you to understand that paid owned earned media are three different concepts. Although they all play distinct roles, they can be optimized to increase brand visibility. To be sure you fully grasp what they mean, I’ll explain each of them using the table below:
| Paid Media | Owned Media | Earned Media |
| Paid media refers to any marketing efforts that involve paying for exposure. This includes advertisements such as Google Ads, social media ads, display ads, and sponsored content. Paid media is essential for quickly reaching a larger audience and driving traffic to your owned media platforms. | Owned media are the channels you control, such as your website, blog, and social media profiles. It’s where you publish content that represents your brand and also engages your audience. Owned media serves as the foundation of your digital presence and a platform to foster relationships with your audience. | Earned media is the organic publicity gained through word-of-mouth, customer reviews, social media mentions, and press coverage. It’s the recognition and exposure your brand receives without direct payment, often seen as the most credible form of media due to its organic nature. |
Read Also: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO OWNED MEDIA: Best Strategies & Examples
Benefits of Integrating Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
By integrating these three types of media, you can create a cohesive and comprehensive marketing strategy that maximizes your reach and impact.
Other benefits include:
- Enhanced Reach
- Increased Credibility
- Cost-Effectiveness
Crafting an Effective Paid, Owned, and Earned Media Strategy
If you intend to craft an effective paid, owned, and earned media strategy or you simply desire to maximize the three options, then the following will be of great help to you:
#1. Develop High-Quality Owned Media
Owned media is the cornerstone of your marketing efforts. This can be your website, social media profiles, or landing pages. Ensure your website, blog, and social media profiles are well-designed, user-friendly, and filled with valuable content. High-quality owned media attracts visitors, keeps them engaged, and encourages them to share your content, leading to earned media.
#2. Leverage Paid Media to Boost Visibility
Use paid media strategically to drive traffic to your owned media platforms. If you are unsure of how to achieve this, check out the tips below:
- Targeted Advertising: Use targeted ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms to reach your specific audience.
- Sponsored Content: Collaborate with influencers and publications to create sponsored content that drives traffic to your site.
- Retargeting Ads: Implement retargeting campaigns to re-engage visitors who have interacted with your owned media but didn’t convert.
#3. Generate Earned Media through Engagement and Quality
Earned media stems from the quality of your content and your engagement with your audience. Therefore, you must pay attention to those things that’ll boost your earned media. The following will be of great help to you:
- Encourage Reviews and Testimonials: Prompt satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, and social media.
- Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, share user-generated content, and foster a community around your brand.
- PR and Outreach: Reach out to bloggers, journalists, and influencers to gain press coverage and mentions.
#4. Create a Harmonized Strategy
Integrate your efforts across paid, owned, and earned media for a seamless marketing strategy. This means your strategy must cut across all three media types to get maximum results.
Maximizing Earned, Owned, and Paid Media
To maximize your marketing efforts, it’s essential to integrate earned, owned, and paid media. Owned media includes your website, blog, and social media channels. Paid media involves advertising efforts like Google Ads or sponsored social media posts. By combining these three types of media, you can create a cohesive strategy that amplifies your message.
For instance, a small fashion brand can create a blog post or campaign for their next collection launch (owned media). They could then hire Lamphills PR to promote this post and campaign through sponsored ads (paid media) to reach a wider audience. If the content is compelling, it may be shared by readers, generating earned media.
What Benefits Does Paid, Owned, and Earned Media have for my Brand?
Integrating paid, owned, and earned media creates a robust marketing strategy that leverages the strengths of each type. As a small business owner or startup, this approach can help you maximize your reach, build credibility, and optimize your marketing efforts for greater success. Start implementing these strategies today and watch your brand grow through a harmonious blend of media.
What does Earned Media Mean in Marketing?
In marketing, earned media refers to the publicity and exposure a brand gains through organic means rather than through paid advertising. This type of media is “earned” because it is voluntarily given by customers, influencers, media outlets, and the general public.
What is Another Name for Earned Media?
The other name for earned media is word-of-mouth marketing or free media.
Final Thoughts
You’ll agree with me that having and implementing an effective earned media strategy can significantly boost your brand’s visibility, credibility, and customer loyalty. I promised to give you a proven strategy on how to improve your earned media; there you have it, all spelled out for you in clear terms.
All in all, creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, leveraging social media, building relationships with influencers, encouraging customer reviews, and monitoring your brand, are some of the proven ways to grow your earned media for your business. However, it’s slow and steady that wins the race, not just fast and furious. This means that success lies in consistency and genuine engagement with your audience. So, implement these tips and let me know how your earned media presence flourishes with them. With dedication and strategic effort, I’m certain your small business or startup can achieve remarkable growth through the power of earned media.
Related Articles
- EARNED MEDIA: Definition, Examples, and Best Practices
- Media Relations: Everything You Should Know (Updated)
- THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO OWNED MEDIA: Best Strategies & Examples
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